Real Madrid star Marcelo accused of tax fraud

REAL MADRID defender Marcelo has become the latest footballer to be accused of tax fraud by Spanish authorities.

The alleged offences are reportedly linked to the use of a foreign firm to handle earnings of his image rights, dating back to 2013 and totalling around €490,000.

The 29-year-old has become the latest in a number of footballers accused of tax fraud.

Earlier this month, former Real Madrid defender Ricardo Carvalho was sentenced to seven month in prison and fined €140,000 for hiding income gained through image rights.

Cristiano Ronaldo faced allegations of avoiding tax in court in July, although no charges have been formally made yet, while Radamel Falcao, Fabio Coentrao and Jose Mourinho have also been investigated for tax evasion.